


Inside The Storm

by l_ss



Category: Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28162617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_ss/pseuds/l_ss
Summary: Andrew and Carina decide to chase the woman accused of child trafficking. What happens next hits hard.Based on the last episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19, following from the winter finale.
Relationships: Maya Bishop & Carina DeLuca, Maya Bishop/Carina DeLuca
Comments: 37
Kudos: 271





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, beautiful people  
> Since we will not be having new episodes until March, I decided to write this fanfic about what follows from the finale. This will be my first longer fanfic, so if you have any piece of advice, please feel free to tell me. Let's try to build this story together.

“Andrea, are you sure this is the woman?”, Carina asked her brother once again. They had been following this car for around 20 minutes now and luckily had not yet been noticed. 

“Yes, yes, I am”, Andrew reassured her. This was a matter of pride for him. With his mental illness, no one believed him when he accused her of child trafficking and, although it had later been proved to be true, the lady had had enough time to disappear. Why she was back at the hospital was still a mystery to him.

The woman’s car finally took a stop at a small, hidden restaurant and, when she left the car, Andrew was even more sure it was her. He would never forget her face, nor what she had done. She made her way inside, always checking her surroundings as if she were scared of something. Andrew and Carina stopped the car a few meters behind, staying inside until she had fully entered the place.

“Ok. What do we do now? Should we go inside?”, Carina questioned her younger brother

“I don’t know”, Andrew replied honestly, “if I go in, she may recognize me. It can be risky”

Carina smiled softly. This statement might have seemed like a logical conclusion for other people but knowing her brother, it was a step in the right direction. A few months back, he would have gone inside, he would have risked his life for whatever reason, just as he did when he went out in a blizzard with no equipment to pick up an organ. This, now, was a sign he was on the right track. It was a sign he had been taking his medication and taking care of himself the proper way, so Carina smiled. And, more than ever, she believed in him. 

“So then I go”, Carina offered promptly

“Carina, no, I cannot ask you to do that”, Andrew was worried for his sister, “besides, she might recognize you, you were there that day”

It was true. Carina was there the day everything had happened, but she was nowhere near the entire situation for most part. Maybe the woman wouldn’t recognize her, maybe the woman wouldn’t even care she was in that restaurant afterall.

“What if we do this then”, the Italian woman shared her idea, “I go inside, just to make sure she doesn’t leave and just to see what is going on there. I’ll make sure I stay as far as possible so she doesn’t notice me. You stay here, have your phone on you just in case and call the police, tell them everything”

Andrew thought for a second. It was not fair to have his sister fight his battles for him, but it was also not fair to let that horrible woman unpunished. He decided to give it a go. Yet, if anything happened to Carina, he knew he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

“I’ll call the police. If anything happens, hit me up. I’ll have my phone on me the entire time. Be careful, please, we don’t know how dangerous she can be or who she might be meeting in there”, Andrew showed all his concerns, “Ti amo, sei una grande sorella”

Carina nodded softly. She exited the car and walked over to the restaurant. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open to find one of the weirdest places she had ever been to. Everything looked dirty and old, it was extremely hot in there due to the lack of ventilation and the food being served looked as if it had been sitting in the fridge for at least two months. The doctor searched the place for the criminal, finding her in a table with another man, a big one. That was the moment it hit her that this for sure wasn’t the safest situation to be in. Taking a deep breath, she found herself a table not too far and ordered the menu just to look busy. The red-haired woman was talking non-stop on the table near, gesticulating every word as if she were trying to prove a point. The man listened carefully and said only a few words every now and then. He had a serious façade. After much observing, she felt the woman’s eyes lay on her and quickly pretended to be looking for a waiter, opting to order a glass of water since it seemed like the only thing on the menu that wouldn’t kill her.

A couple minutes later, Carina saw them getting up. She hoped so much they wouldn’t come in her direction, but that went down the hill as soon as the two stopped by her table.

“I’m sorry, do we know you?”, the harsh voice of the male figure was scary

“Ah, no, I don’t think so”, Carina tried her best to seem calm while her whole body trembled from inside out

“Ok, then why won’t you stop fucking staring at us?”, the tone once again was threatening 

“I’m...I’m not staring at you”, Carina lied poorly, her voice cracking

The guy just smiled while his partner showed no reaction, her face as still as a rock. Just when they were about to leave her alone, a notification popped up on her phone with a message from her brother - “ _the police is here, they are going in, be careful”._ That was that. The big man took out a gun and pointed it directly at the doctor, while the other criminal shouted at everyone to get down on the floor and be quiet. Carina couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. It felt like her body was frozen, almost dead. The man kept yelling some things she couldn’t understand, his voice getting higher each time. When the police entered the place, she could feel the coldness of the gun’s end on the side of her head. Her mind was completely blank, she couldn’t think. What happened next is a blur.

The police tried to solve the situation peacefully; however, the negotiations showed no effect. Both the man and the woman knew that if they were caught, not only they would spent the rest of their lives in prison, but also their whole gang would be brought down and they couldn’t do that to their partners. So, they persisted, they threatened, they said that if Andrew DeLuca took one more step forward, he would be an only child. But gunshots could soon be heard, along with yelling and screaming. Blood. Time. Frozen.

\----

“Female, gunshot to her abdomen, lost a lot of blood on the way here, her SATs are low”, Andrew DeLuca said as the ambulance door was opened by Dr. Bailey

“DeLuca, what are you doing in there?”, the older doctor was surprised to see her colleague who had barely left the hospital

“Dr. Bailey, I know we’re full on COVID patients and should not be taking emergencies, but we need to take this one”, Andrew said firmly, “we need to save my sister”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's one more ((the next ones will be longer, the first two are just "introduction chapters"  
> btw i do realize i said "meters" in the last chapter but here's the thing i'm brazilian i have no idea how to use feet and inches to measure things
> 
> anyways
> 
> enjoy

“Get her inside now”, Dr. Bailey stated, “and page Dr. Webber”

Andrew made his way inside with his injured sister. He couldn’t keep up with the thoughts in his head of all the different endings this situation could have. If he lost his sister, he would probably lose himself too but he knew that if Carina had a shot at surviving, Grey Sloan would be it.

“Ah, no, we are not taking any patients at the moment”, Miranda Bailey said to the ambulance that came right after. The man inside didn’t appear to be in such a bad state, and the police officer with him made the doctor curious.

“We need to get him treated so we can take him to the police station”, the officer explained

“For what?”, Bailey questioned

“For shooting a civilian”, the officer answered, “and for possible child trafficking”

Bailey connected the dots. She remembered the DeLuca episode all too well; she had also heard about the other guy who had been accused of the same thing and was being treated at this hospital. She could choose to let him in and treat him, she had taken an oath afterall. But this man was not dying, he was nowhere near it. It was just a minor injury, he would be fine with whatever medical care he got.

“We are full on COVID patients, so we are not taking other patients”, Bailey decided it was best this way, this hospital had enough to deal with already, “take him to Seattle Press or whatever hospital further from here, he’s has a minor injury, he will survive a longer distance trip to the hospital”

“But…”, the police officer tried

“I said we are not taking patients anymore”, Bailey stated firmly with the authority only she had at Grey Sloan. She didn’t even bother to look back, making her way inside the hospital in fast speed in order to check on the entire Carina situation.

-

“DeLuca, you need to leave this room!”, Richard Webber raised his voice at the Italian, who was trying to take part in saving his sister

“But Dr. Webber…”, Andrew knew he should not be there, it was against the rules for a doctor to treat a member of his own family. But how could he leave her? 

“ _Now_ , DeLuca”, Webber had made his decision. 

Andrew DeLuca left the room. He knew his sister couldn’t be in better hands, yet the knot in his stomach seemed to only grow bigger. The man was sweating and feeling cold at the same time, his body shaking slightly with fear. He found himself a chair, his breathing getting heavier each time, he felt like he could throw up at any moment.

“DeLuca”, Bailey called, touching his shoulder to get his attention, “Andrew, let’s go to my office”

They made their way there in silence. Once inside, Andrew just curled up on the couch, the tears didn’t take long to fall from his eyes.

“Want to tell me what happened?”, Bailey asked carefully. Andrew just nodded.

“I saw her, the woman, the child trafficking woman”, Andrew started to explain, “I didn’t know what she was doing here, I just knew that I couldn’t let her escape one more time so I wanted to follow her. I ran into Carina at the parking lot when I was about to do it and she said she would go with me, she believed me, she…”

Dr. Bailey didn’t say a word. She just observed and let her former resident have his moment before continuing. 

“We arrived at this place and Carina decided to follow the woman inside”, Andrew continued among tears, “everything was fine, I had called the police, but I don’t know what happened inside there because when they entered, this big man had a gun pointed to my sister. And I tried, Bailey, I tried to go in and help her but he said that if I moved, he would shoot Carina.”

One more pause. One more deep breath.

“And then this officer decided it would be an awesome idea to shoot the guy, but he only barely got him and he still had time to shoot and, and then he shot her as he laid on the ground hurt”, Andrew finished at the same time Bailey’s phone beeped

“It’s Webber”, Bailey shared, “they are taking her to surgery now. Do you have any more family here in Seattle we should contact?”

“No, it’s just the two of us here, all of our family is in Italy”, Andrew said but soon remembered that wasn’t true, “actually…”

\---

“Tell me again why you arrested my men”, Maya Bishop asked the officer. They had been at the police station for a while now. Miller and Sullivan hadn’t been let go yet and the captain was trying to solve the situation

“Obstruction of justice, breaking and entering, assaulting a police officer...would you like me to keep going?”, Officer Lott said, the smugness on his face made Maya want to jump on his throat

“Sure, maybe then you can add that you only did this because they are black”, Jack said firmly, making the other man look at him with disapproval

“Look”, Andy Herrera interrupted, “two girls, two black girls were kidnapped, they started a fire to get themselves out of that situation, we entered the place to save them, we are firefighters, it was our scene”

“There have been no proofs that those girls were in fact kidnapped, the only thing proven to be true was that they started a fire, therefore commiting a crime”, Lott accused them again, “your team broke into private property, disturbed the owner…”

“Yeah, of course, always believe the white man”, Maya stated ironically, “you know what, Officer Lott, when I get my men out of here, because trust me, I’m getting my men out of here, you are going to…”

Maya was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She didn’t even bother looking at the number before picking up, imagining it could be someone providing information that could help her and her team. She never imagined the call would make her world crumble to pieces.

  
  



	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello it's me again

Two hours had passed by since the surgery started. According to Dr. Webber’s constant update, everything seemed to be going smoothly: Carina’s vitals were stable, she had been receiving blood transfusion and the bullet had been safely removed. The surgery was coming to an end and once it was over she would need to stay under observation for a while.

Andrew had not left Bailey’s office, nor did he want to. He needed to be alone at the moment. The younger sibling couldn’t help but think all of this was his fault and the fear of losing his sister was eating him alive. Maybe the relationship between the DeLuca siblings wasn’t perfect, but they loved each other very dearly. Andrew was intelligent enough to recognize the fact that his sister had moved to a completely different country and changed her entire life and career just to be close to him and be there for him in case his destiny was anyhow similar to their father’s. She had never left his side, not even in the lowest points of his mental disease - she had even gone off on Meredith Grey and Miranda Bailey, for God’s sake. Carina had been an amazing sister and support system through it all, and now it was time he did the same for her. 

Bailey constantly went to check on him, but the doctor was paying closer attention to a very shaken up Maya Bishop in the waiting area. Truth to be told, she wasn’t really supposed to be there once they were trying to reduce the number of people inside the hospital given the amount of COVID patients they were receiving, but she would not leave. The staff followed all the testing procedures and, since Maya knew all too well the importance of wearing a mask, that wouldn’t be a problem. The firefighter just wanted to be with her girlfriend in a delicate moment.

“Maya, hey”, Teddy Altman greeted the captain, “what are you doing here? Everything okay?”

“Carina…”, Maya shared, “she’s in surgery”

“In surgery?”, the doctor sounded surprised, “what happened to her?”

“Apparently she was shot inside this restaurant, I...I don’t really know”, Maya had little information on the general situation. When she picked up the phone earlier that day, she had only been asked to rush to Grey Sloan because something was wrong with Carina and she would not wait to hear the whole story before getting in a car and going to the hospital as fast as possible

“What?”, Teddy questioned rhetorically, “we’re literally in the middle of a freaking pandemic and people have time to shoot others inside restaurants, what the hell! Is she okay?”

“I don’t have the answer to that”, Maya answered, her voice cracking with every word, “Bailey said she would let me know as soon as Carina was out of surgery, but I haven’t heard from her yet”

“She’s out”, Bailey approached the other two women, “they have just taken her to a room, she’s stable, everything went fine”

Hearing that, Maya could finally breathe again. After asking which room her girlfriend was in, she wasted no time in making her way there. The fire captain had never been so worried in her entire life and all the bad thoughts had been consuming her, but the news that Carina was fine eased her concerns, at least a little.

When she entered the room, the Italian woman was sleeping peacefully. Although she was attached to all these machines, she looked fine. Maya rushed to the side of the bed to caress Carina’s face, some tears rolling down her cheeks. She still couldn’t believe the love of her life was hurt, and in all honesty Maya didn’t know how to be strong when Carina was laying there. 

“Hey, you”, Maya said softly, taking Carina’s hand in hers, “I heard you’ve been shot. What the hell were you doing, you Italian goddess? I’m worried about you. You are tied to like a thousand machines right now and I’m scared. I’m so freaking scared, Carina, because I cannot lose you, I just can’t. I love you. And I love sharing my life with you, and your stinky cheeses, and your pasta drying on our counter, and your vagina art...I love you. Please, wake up”

“Hey, hm, do you mind if I come in?”, Andrew DeLuca asked from the place the was standing, close to the door

“Of course not, Andrew”, Maya answered truthfully. The two of them had never really met - due to the pandemic, it wasn’t really safe to be having contact; but because the DeLuca siblings would eventually video-call each other, they had exchanged some words.

“She loves you too, you know?”, Andrew shared and Maya just smiled, “I’m glad she found someone like you”

“What? Me?”, Maya questioned in surprise, “Andrew, I’m not...sometimes I think she deserves better, you know? I suck at relationships, I freak out over the smallest things, but I really do love your sister, and I’m trying to be the best I can for her. Sometimes I’m scared it just won’t be enough”

“What are you talking about? Every time Carina’s talked about you, it’s like she lights up. I mean, I felt very protective of her when I heard about...you know”, Andrew explained, making Maya hold her head down in a little shame and guilt, “but Maya, you came around. It’s not easy to understand that we have been abused, that we are hurting, that we are not okay. I mean, we weren’t very lucky with our fathers, were we? And I can’t help but think that me being the way I am is the reason she is laying on this bed right now”

“Why? What do you mean?”, Maya was curious now, her hand still holding Carina’s

Andrew explained the entire history. Meanwhile, his sister-in-law listened carefully, trying to understand where he was coming from and to connect the dots on why her girlfriend was on a hospital bed at the moment.

“Wait, did you say the woman, the one involved in child trafficking came back here yesterday?”, Maya’s head seemed to have cleared

“Yeah, and I don’t know why”, Andrew replied, “the police have arrested her in the scene, maybe they will figure that one out”

“Andrew, yesterday my team and I got involved in a kidnapping situation. This man was keeping these two girls inside his house, they started a fire to get free and he ended up getting hurt so they ended up bringing him here to be treated”, Maya informed the doctor, “do you think…?”

“They are related in some way”, Andrew followed the blonde’s line of thought, “of course! I mean, why else would she be back here? We need to call the police.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i've been reading your comments thank you so much i'm so glad you're enjoying this story

The police didn’t take long to arrive at the hospital. After going through all the protocols, only one officer was allowed inside the hospital, yet not inside the room Carina was staying. Andrew decided to be the first one to give a statement, explaining from A to Z everything that had happened. He made his way back to be with his sister while Maya went outside to give the officer all the information she had. 

“...and now that you have a lead, I’d like for my two men in prison to be released”, Maya finished her statement firmly

“Ma’am, I am…”, the officer started but was soon interrupted

“Captain”, Maya said, “it’s Captain Maya Bishop”

“Captain”, the officer repeated, “all I can do right now is thank you for your statement and say we will work with the lead you have given us but I cannot promise to let your men out of jail. They have committed crimes”

“They were obligated to commit crimes because your friends did a crappy job”, Maya was already feeling angry, “they were obligated to commit crimes because your friends didn’t care that two black girls were kidnapped, because you are so damn racist that you chose to believe the word of a white criminal over the word of a black firefighter”

“I am sure the color of the skin had nothing to do with the way my colleagues handled the situation”, the police officer, whose name Maya didn’t care to learn, had a to-go sentence to excuse the present racism

“It didn’t?”, Maya asked ironically, her voice starting to raise, “of course it didn’t. It never does, does it? Our system is just so perfect that a police officer would never be racist, or step on the throat of an unarmed black guy until he couldn’t freaking breathe anymore. Of course not, not in America.”

“Captain, you keep up these accusations, you are going to keep you men company”, the officer threatened the firefighter

“The only person she will be keeping company is her girlfriend, who has just been through surgery because of a bad police operation”, Avery said as he approached the two. Jackson had been aware of the scenario since the two girls arrived at the hospital, he had been against treating their kidnapper in the same hospital as them and, to see how this story would unfold, he decided to follow the police officer as soon as he saw the guy entering the place, “I’d like for you to follow me so I can show you where your actual criminal is, please”

Maya made her way back into the room. Every fiber in her body ached with the pain of having almost lost her girlfriend, with the anger of a system so broken she felt ashamed of even being in it, with the sadness of knowing two members of her Station 19 family were in jail simply because of the color of their skin. She ached so much she couldn’t take it anymore, so she cried. She cried as if she were a baby left alone in their room at night for the first time. She cried when she remembered her father’s “ _ eyes forward all the time _ ” motto, because what the hell was the point of reaching the finish line if you lost everyone you loved on the way? When Andrew DeLuca sat by her side and reached for her hand, she cried even more. She wasn't the one to break down in front of people, but her brother-in-law was family, he was the supportive family she never thought she would have, that she never thought to even deserve. The moment was interrupted by the sound of a notification on Andrew’s phone.

“Really? Now?”, the doctor complained in disbelief

“Anything wrong?”, Maya asked, wiping the tears off her face as much as she could

“I...I need to take my medicine and get some rest”, DeLuca explained, “father’s heritage”

“That’s a nice one”, Maya joked a little, “all I got is fear of sitting at a breakfast table”

Andrew laughed at the exchange and made his way out of the room in order to take care of himself. He thought twice before actually leaving, but he knew that if he really wanted to be the support system his sister needed, this was what he needed to do. Besides, Maya was there.  The firefighter sat there observing Carina for a while, still hoping this was nothing but a really bad nightmare; however, all the machines and cables attached to Carina were worrying her.

“I know it’s scary, but she’s fine”, Jackson was standing on the door, his arms crossed over his chest, “that douchebag is taking his statement, he is saying the girls broke into his house and set fire to it”

“That’s not true”, Maya said matter-of-factly, “he’s been saying that, but it’s not true.”

“Bishop, I know it’s not true”, Jackson shared, “I’m sorry about Milles and Sullivan”

“Trust me, I’m sorry too”, the captain said, “I spent hours at the police station trying to get those damn officers to listen but they just wouldn’t. I hate this system, and I hate even more that I’m part of it”

“Well, we’re all part of the system in a way, what we can do is fight to make it better day after day”, Jackson tried to comfort her with a warm smile

“Maya, you’re Maya Bishop, right?”, Dr. Shepherd walked into the room

“Yeah, yeah, I am”, Maya confirmed her identity to the doctor

“Okay, Dr. Bailey asked me to find you. She said she needs you in her office as soon as possible, the police wants to talk to you”, Amelia announced

“Everything alright?”, Jackson asked curiously

“Those people...”, Amelia began to explain, “apparently you were right, they are all involved in child trafficking, all three of them. The man that came here, the kidnapper, they entered his house and they found some proof, but they are still trying to discover if the three of them are connected in some way or part of a bigger scheme. They have all been arrested, now they need to press charges and you're one of the witnesses, I think. Oh, and she asked me to let you know that your men are out, although I don't know what it means"

Maya got up from her seat. She approached the bed Carina was laying on and took her hand, leaning over to give her a soft kiss on the head. The Italian doctor was one of the main reasons they were able to catch these bad guys. She had put herself out there, fearlessly, courageously; Carina was a hero, in a way. Maya smiled to herself. What a crazy world, her sweet girlfriend being responsible for the arrest of criminals.

"You hear that?", Maya asked her sleeping lover, "you've helped catch some bad guys"

Maya stood there, not wanting to leave Carina's side, holding her hand firmly

“Go, I’ll watch her for you”, Jackson offered and Maya was about to accept his offer when she felt Carina’s hand squeezing hers, and the soft brown eyes of her girlfriend slowly revealing themselves.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two in one day 'cause why not happy birthday  
> this is just a fun chapter full of dialogues so try to imagine a scene i dont know  
> hope u like it

“You’re awake”, Maya noticed surprised, “hey”

“Hey”, Carina said almost inaudibly, still a little asleep

“Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Are you in pain?”, out of worry, Maya bombarded the Italian with questions

“I’m fine”, Carina replied calmly, giving her girlfriend a warm smile that could only be seem through her eyes because of the mask

“Maya, would you like me to tell them you cannot come right now?”, Amelia questioned, knowing the blonde would probably not be leaving the room anytime soon

“Would you do that for me, please?”, Maya requested and the neurosurgeon nodded in agreement, her and Avery leaving the couple alone

“It’s against the rules if I ask you for a kiss, isn’t it?”, Carina questioned the firefighter although she already knew the answer. However, since they had both been tested a few hours prior to that, they wasted no time in removing their masks and sealing their lips together, “that felt good”

“You’re awake”, Maya repeated once again as if it were still a dream

“I’m aware”, Carina joked, “where is Andrea? Is he alright?”

“He’s fine”, Maya assured the other woman, “he said something about having to take some medicine and get some rest”

“Okay, good”, Carina sighed with relief, “and what was that about? What do they need you for?”

“Woke up curious, didn’t you?”, Maya kidded, making the ob roll her eyes, “they need me to testify on the case, the child trafficking one. They have caught some of the guys, but they are trying to figure out if there’s a bigger scheme. They need all the information they can get, but right now I’m a little busy”

“Well, if they have caught at least some people, I think it’s worth having been shot”, it was Carina’s turn to throw a joke and Maya’s turn to roll her eyes, “but what do you have to do with this story?”

The doctor had no idea of all the circumstances. Truth to be told, she barely knew her brother’s side of this story, she just chose to trust him. However, there wasn’t time for Maya to explain once Andy and Vic were standing on the door, a smile on their faces

“They have released the guys, no charges”, Vic informed, putting a confused look on Carina’s face

“So I’ve heard”, Maya declared, “are they going to press charges on the officers who were on the scene?”

“Probably. I mean, it is the only way we can try to get at least a little bit of justice for ourselves”. Andy directed her words to Carina, “I heard someone decided to play investigator today. How are you feeling, roommate?”

“Right now? Extremely confused with what is going on”, Carina answered truthfully, causing the other woman to smile

“Justice, that’s what’s going on”, Vic declared playfully, “by the way, I’m Vic, one of Maya’s best friends she has failed to properly introduce to her girlfriend, who she won’t shut up about”

“It’s a pleasure finally properly meeting you”, Carina laughed a little as she felt the captain’s hand starting to sweat, “what has she told you about me?”

“That you are beautiful, and charming, and funny, you know, all the basics”, Vic shared, “oh, and that you’re like an orgasm goddess”

“It’s true”, Andy stated, making Carina’s and Maya’s eyes widen a bit, “what? The walls are  _ really _ thin. Sometimes I have to put earplugs in.”

“Oh my God, okay, Carina’s fine, time to go now. Bye, bye, thanks for the visit”, Maya let go of Carina’s hand to make her way to the door in order to send the other women away and close the door

“Yeah, yeah, we’re going, Maya “monogamy is for the weak” Bishop”, Andy used the nickname once again before having the door closed behind her and Vic’s back

“Why is everyone speaking in codes today?”, Carina was curious and a little bothered that she didn’t understand a thing of what was happening, “what on Earth is going on?”

“Well, the thing you need to know for now is that you’re awesome, I’m gonna be worried until Dr. Webber comes here and guarantees you’re not dying and that I love you like a lot”, Maya approached the bed once again, motioning for Carina to scoot over so she could lay in bed by her side.

They stayed like that for a while, feeling the warmth of each other’s body. Maya laid on her side, her head on Carina’s chest, her arms in a weird position so she wouldn’t go near her girlfriend’s wound. It felt good to listen to the doctor’s steady heartbeat, it gave Maya a sense of peace, it always did. She was so comfortable and so tired because of everything that had happened in the past hours that the captain ended up falling asleep, right there, on the hospital bed.

“I heard someone’s awake”, Andrew said as he slowly walking in the room

“Andrea, ciao”, Carina greeted her younger brother, “I’m awake, yes, but this one has fallen asleep. She must be tired.”

“After everything that has happened, I’d be surprised if she wasn’t”, DeLuca commented, “how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, really”, Carina guaranteed her brother, “and you?”

“Well, I’m not the one who was shot, so I’d say I’m pretty fine”, Andrew joked with her, “I’m so sorry, Carina, I can’t help but think this is my fault”

“Andrea, stop it”, Carina almost demanded, “you’re not the one to blame”

“But if I hadn’t involved you in this situation, you’d be just fine”, Andrew claimed

“And those criminals wouldn’t be in jail”, Carina added, making her brother nod in agreement, “Do you happen to know why they want Maya involved in this?”

“Her team responded to a kidnapping, two 13-year-old girls. They found out that the kidnapper is also involved in child trafficking and they’d like to investigate if him and the two people we followed are connected or even involved in something bigger”, Andrew explained

“And now my baby brother and my girlfriend are involved in a police investigation”, Carina concluded, “and I wanna say me too?”

“Well, kinda”, Andrew laughed a little, “what a family you’ve got there, hm?”

“Yet I wouldn’t have chosen a different one”, Carina smiled softly at her brother and kissed the top of her sleeping girlfriend’s head

“Thank you, Carina”, Andrew said sincerely, “thank you for believing in me, for staying with me even in my lowest points, for taking care of me, for not giving up on me...just, thank you. I know I’m not the best brother out there, but you’re the best sister a guy could have”

“Andrea, I…”, Carina had her eyes filled with tears, “you’re my baby brother, I will always be here for you”

“Am I interrupting something?”, Doctor Webber said from the door; the siblings said an unison no while Maya was still asleep, “would you like to hear some good news?”

“Always”, Carina smiled, “Maya, babe, wake up, Dr. Webber’s here and he’s got good news”

Maya woke up disoriented, almost falling out of bed. She felt too lazy to get up, but decided it was the best thing to do.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to give you an update, things got really busy”, Dr. Webber apologized, “but the surgery was a success, no complications, you were lucky the bullet did no major damage to any organ, we removed it with ease. Now all you need to do is rest and you will be going home pretty soon”

The smile on everyone's faces was a sign of relief. Everything that had happened was so...unexpected, but now everything seemed to be reaching a fine ending: Carina would be back on her feet in no time and the criminals were in jail whereas Sullivan and Miller were out. Of course, some things were still left to be solved, but right now they just wanted to enjoy this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ps: next chapter will probably be the last one


	6. Chapter Six - Final Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is up beautiful people  
> here you have the last chapter of this fic  
> thank u for all the feedback, it was a fun experience to write this  
> hope u enjoy  
> merry christmas and happy new year

“Are you sure you want to leave me?”, Amelia joked as she entered the room. Carina was getting ready to finally go to the comfort of her own home

“Maybe you won’t like the answer to that question”, Carina followed suit with the bantering

“I’m gonna pretend that didn’t hurt”, the neurosurgeon replied playfully, “is Maya picking you up?”

“No, she is at the police station right now”, Carina explained, “I’m actually waiting for my brother”

“Your girlfriend...wow”, Amelia complimented the firefighter, “not only is she beautiful but she is like a badass. I mean, I had heard some things about her before but she’s like better somehow ”

“Should I let Link know you’re leaving him for my girlfriend?”, the Italian one laughed

Amelia stayed with Carina until Andrew arrived to pick her up. He drove his sister to her and Maya’s place and helped her get settled once she wasn’t 100% cleared yet. She did feel better, but still had some stitches on therefore being careful was mandatory. Even though Carina had been through a lot these past few days, she felt happy to know that her family and friends cared so much about her; she hadn’t been alone for even one second in that hospital room. The free spirit in her that loved moving countries seemed to have found the right place to stay.

\----

“Captain Maya Bishop, would you come in?”, an officer called her into the chief of police’s office. She was the last one of her team to give a statement about what had happened that day and how the police had treated her crew and she was more than ready to do so. 

“You can sit down”, Chief Johnson said as he pointed to the vacant chair on the other side of his desk. He was the commander of operations in the region everything went down and had been asked by his superiors to listen to this case personally in order to try to solve it quickly without taking it to a higher instance and bringing it to the spotlight, “you can start by telling me what happened that day”

Maya did. She told him everything, leaving out no details. However, one thing bothered her: he didn’t seem to care or to be even listening to what she had to say. The more she spoke, the less interested he looked. It felt like he was doing this more out of obligation than out of care for justice.

“Chief, with all due respect, are you even listening to what I’m saying?”, Maya questioned, a little rage already present on her voice

“Of course, you may proceed”, Johnson spoke automatically

“Look, Chief Johnson, if you weren’t listening while I was saying it nicely you may listen now”, Maya stated firmly, “your men are racist scumbags. They are not worthy of wearing this uniform. The way they handled the scene that day was so amateur I started questioning if it wouldn’t be a safer city without any police at all. Not only that, but my girlfriend is getting out of the hospital today because she was shot in a badly conducted police operation. And if you are the chief of this circus, you’re an even more sorry excuse for an officer”

“Captain, if you keep accusing and disrespecting me and my team like that I’m going to need to have you arrested”, Chief Johnson uttered

“Sucks, right?”, Maya’s ironic tone rose, “but guess what, Chief? I’ve dealt with crappy authoritarian men who think they are superior since I was a child, I’m not scared of dealing with a couple more.”

“Is that a threat?”, the Chief raised his eyebrows and deepened his voice

“It’s a warning”, Maya wasted no time in getting up from where she was seated to make her way out. Carina was getting out of the hospital that day and that is where she was supposed to be, not here dealing with a crappy professional.

Her girlfriend should be at their place by now so she made her way there after saying goodbye to her team, who were standing outside of the office just waiting for her. She was so happy to finally have her girl back with her at their apartment, so happy they would be able to sleep in each other’s embrace again, with warm blankets that didn’t smell like hospital. Maya stopped by at a bakery to pick up some croissants she knew Carina loved and, opening the front door, her heart felt at peace when she saw her girlfriend and her brother-in-law sitting on the couch and laughing.

“Hey, you guys”, Maya greeted them as she walked in, “who wants croissants?”

“I do but I’m gonna take them to go”, Andrew got up from the couch and kissed the top of his sister head goodbye, “I was just waiting for you to arrive so Carina wouldn’t be alone but I need to go to the hospital”

“Well, you take them”, Maya opened the box for Andrew to get two of the baked goods and make his way out, “see ya”

“I’m not a child who needs to constantly be watched over, you know?”, Carina commented with the firefighter

“We know”, Maya replied as she put the box on the kitchen counter, “but we like to take care of you. That being said, I’m gonna take a shower so I can pamper you COVID free”

\----

Some weeks had passed since the incident. After launching a confidential investigation, the police arrested five more people involved in the child trafficking scheme in Seattle and were still looking for more. The crew in Grey Sloan, Station 19 and other institutions nearby were asked to keep a close eye in any suspicious case. Although the police officers accused of racism had been suspended and the lawsuit agains them was going fairly well, working with the police was still a little suspicious for Station 19's firefighters; yet, they tried their best once it was for a bigger cause. Maya and Andrew had become almost best friends, and the male doctor would come to the apartment more often than not. As for Maya and Carina...

“Maya, we’re gonna be late, let’s go!”, Andy said as she knocked on the door of her friend’s bedroom. 

“I…oh my god”, Maya couldn’t concentrate on her words when Carina’s lips were doing wonders on her neck, “..yeah”

“Are you having a stroke?”, Andy questioned with furrowed brows

“I’m gonna go in later today”, the captain managed to get the words out with some difficulty when Carina gave her a break. Her friend just chose to accept and made her way to work by herself, once her shift would start soon and she didn't want to be late. 

“How about you don’t go in at all and we stay like this all day?”, Carina asked as she went back to working on her girlfriend’s neck, her hand barely squeezing Maya’s breast over her shirt. The doctor had already been cleared to go back to work, but had the day off today and decided to get the firefighter to give herself a day off too. It didn’t take much convincing, to be honest. Soon, clothes were scattered all over the floor and heavy painting and moans could be heard. When Maya made her way down Carina's body, she took her time to kiss the scar on her girlfriend’s belly. This became something Maya would always do when they had sex; by now, the cicatrix was barely noticeable, but it was still there. Their bodies ached with pleasure and, even though the Italian really was an orgasm expert, Maya didn’t stay far behind, knowing all the weak spots on Carina’s body.

“I will literally pay you 20 bucks to go get water”, Carina stated as seriously as she could; their naked bodies attached as the Italian doctor spooned the blonde woman

“Did I really make you that dehydrated?, Maya asked smuggly

"Not really, all the screaming was fake”, the doctor kidded 

“Screw you”, Maya cursed at her girlfriend playfully, turning her body around to look at the other woman’s face, “I love you”

“I love you too”, Carina answered wholeheartedly, caressing the side of the captain’s face, “I love you even more when you lose all that badass façade and become this cute, sweet woman”

“Okay, get up, you’re coming with me and you are making me french toast”, Maya demanded playfully, doing her best to look badass again

“I’m only going because I want to”, Carina got up from the bed too, imitating her girlfriend and putting a robe around her body, “and you’re giving me a foot massage afterwards”

They walked to the kitchen cracking jokes at each other, the biggest smiles on their faces, feeling as happy as they ever were in each other’s company.

  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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